Was Buffy Summers better off with Angel or Spike? It’s a debate that fans of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will continue to have for years, but in the context of the show, Angel is Buffy’s soulmate. Spike, meanwhile, is essentially a fling to distract the slayer from her misery after being resurrected from the dead and feeling out of sorts. The pair’s relationship, however, informs some of the best episodes of “Buffy,” but it’s certainly a polarizing topic.
In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Weekly, James Marsters (Spike) addressed the naysayers of Buffy and Spike’s romance, as well as its most vocally passionate defenders. The actor noted that he understands why some fans reject Buffy hooking up with Spike, but argued that the series doesn’t exactly position his vampire character as Angel’s replacement. “People like to fight,” Marsters told the outlet. “They like to get into teams and push against the other team and prove the other side wrong. I think what the show was saying very clearly was that Angel was her One, but it was impossible. I think the show was equally clear that Spike was not the right answer.”
Be that as it may, the fact that the relationship between Buffy and Spike is still being discussed after all these years shows that it’s effective, for better or worse. As Marsters said, the storyline reaffirms the notion that Angel will always hold the most special place in the vampire slayer’s heart — a sentiment that Sarah Michelle Gellar agrees with as well.
Sarah Michelle Gellar believes Buffy only had one soulmate
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” aired its final episode in 2003, yet fans remain passionate about the eponymous character’s love life. Gellar revealed that she still gets asked about whether Buffy belongs with Angel or Spike, and despite her answer inflaming some of the show’s base, it’s always a no-brainer.
“There was something so beautiful to me about the Buffy and Angel story,” Gellar said during a 2017 reunion event hosted by EW. “I think that Spike understood a different part of who Buffy was and I think she needed to understand that and discover. But for me as Buffy, I think Angel.”
The vampire hunter’s romantic journey might not be over yet, as Gellar will reprise the role in Hulu’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” sequel series, which is currently in development. Who knows? Maybe Ms. Summers will live happily ever after with a special someone when it’s all said and done.